Coin-controlled vending-machine.



H. A. LADIEI.-A

GOIN GONTROLLED VBNDING MACHINE.

I APPLICATION FILED OT. 31,1907. 937,820.V

Y Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

witnesses 11.,L \.I.A1JU`E. y GOIN GONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 31,1907.

Zittomcg Patented oct.26,1909. I

H. A. LADUE.

GOIN GONTROLLED VENDING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001;. 31,1907.

937,820. Patented '001126, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

witnesses El? '1E I Inventor Httorneg (UN rriii) srarnsgrgnnr oFFio-E.

HOWARD A.'LADUE, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.-

COIN-CONTROLLED vENDING-MACHINE.

. a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved coin-controlled or slot machine, the same being more especially designed for handling plug tobacco and analogous packages, the same being adapted for handling various articles of merchandise.

My invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of devices and Aappliances hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view 'in perspective. Fig. 2 is a view in section on the line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1, showing the mechanism in operative position. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with a portion of the case in elevation, showing features of the mechanism in operative position. Fig. 5 is a View in perspective of one of the feeding carriages or plungers. Fig.

6 is a fragmentary view showing the mechanisin for intermittently rotating t-he shaft carried by the. swinging frame. Fig. 7 is a view in section on the line 7 7, Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is an enlarged section through the coin-controlled mechanism. Fig. 9 isa plan view of mechanism illustrated in Fig. 8. Fig. 1 0 is a view in section on the line 10 10, Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the discharging or feeding device shown in the act of delivering one of pack a es, at the same time supporting the column o packages. Fig. 12 is a view in section on the line 12-12, Fig.. 11. Fig. 13 is a view in perspective of the filler plate. Fig. 14l

shows the plate applied to the column of packages. Fig. 15 is a view in section on the line 15 15, Fig. 3, looking upward. Fig. 16 is an enlarged view at the upper corner of one of the magazines showing the method of putting certain features of the mechanism together.

Iy have found that packages corresponding in size to that of plugv tobacco,l cigarette boxes, etc., cannot be operated by the same Specification 'of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 31, 1907.

p Patented oet. 26, 1909. serial 110.399,98?.

principle used in the handling of smaller packages, such as gum or other articles. Present machines of an. analogous ,nature force the lowest package of a magazine into its chute or proper receptacle by means of bars, rods, plates, jaws, etc., moving in one plane and returning in the saine; relying upon gravity to make the next package fall into the position vacated, each package above being called upon to drop in a restricted vertical path a dist-ance equal to the thickness of the package. y Vhcn a package of the bulk and thickness of plug tobacco is used the lowest package can be thrust from those above without ditliculty, but the second package when allowed to take its own course will fall with the free end foremost, while the other end is being held up by the thrusting mechanism. It will thus take an inclined position in the magazine, due to the fact that the diagonal of a rectangular package is longer than the base, and therefore occupies the necessary clearance inthe magazine.4 I The packages above the inclined one necessarily fall in a similar position, and the result is a balled up condition in the magazine. If the dimension, in

' question, of a magazine was made equal to the diagonal of the package, plus necessary clearance, the saine balled up state of affairs would take place in the magazine, due to too milch freedom of lateral movement of the packages. Consequently, packa 'es of this size must be kept in a horizonta position while being lowered vertically.

One purpose of iny invention is to remedy the difficulties above mentioned.

For the reasons stated, it is not known that any other machine of this class has heretofore been adapted forrshandling plug tobacco, especially.

I carry out my invention as follows: In the drawings the numeral 1 denotes any snitable inclosing case, provided with a removable cover 2, with a coin run-way 3, a series of boxes or magazines containing the articles of merchandise located within the case, preferably multiple in number.

Certain features of my invention are adapted for operation with only a single box or mechanism, four, however, being shown in the accompanying drawings. the saine being indicated by the numeral 4. The front 'said frame being preferably provided with upwardly extending arms 8 jointe-dly engaged at their upper ends with the case, as indicatedfat 9. The swinging frame carries an intermittently rotatable shaft 10. Supported within the base of the machine are a series of guide' frames or tracks 11, equal in number to the number of magazines, the

guide frames being located beneath the lowery extremities of the respective magazines. In these guide frames or tracks are supported corresponding reciprocatory feeding plungers or 'carriages indicated at 12,`t eir reclprocation being caused by the movement of the swinging frame.

The swinging frame is actuated by mechanism controlled by a coin deposited in the run-way as follows: At the base of the runway are located two companion reciprocatory coin catchers, the one located toward the rear shown at 13, sliding upon suitable guides supported in the base of the'case.

The other coin catcher 15 is located in front of the rear catcher, and is supported in the base of the case, the front co1n catcher telescoping within the rear catcher, as indicate in the drawings. Said catchers are respectively provided with elongated open slots 16 and 17, the two slots combined bein of sufficient size to receive and hold a com deposited therein from the run-way, when in normal position. The rearcatcher is provided with a rack 18 and the front catcher with a shoulder or dog 19. Supported adjacent to the catchers is a spring -20 provided with a tooth 21 to engage the rack, and with an additional tooth 22 toengage the dog 19. The dog 19 and tooth 22 have adjacent beveled faces, as shown. The two catchers are supported in any suitable manner, as upon brackets 23 and 24, the rear catcher being also mounted upon upper guide rods 25 and lower guide rods 26. One of the guide rods is preferably adjustable, having a threaded engagement at its rear end in the adjacent bracket 24, as shown at 27, the adjustable guide rod being provided with a shoulder 28 to engage. against the forward end of the rear catcher indicated at 29, and is shown also provided with a head 30 for conveniently adjusting the same to regulate the length of the slots 16 and 17. The forward catcher may be constructed in any suitable manner, the same being provided with a push rod 31 extending to the exterior of the baseand lprovided with an internal retracting spring 32. A retaining nut 33 has a threaded engagement through the base and with an arm 34. The lower side of the push rod is constructed with an elongated slot 35 to permit of its reciprocation, and also to prevent same from turning. The inner end of the push rod has a threaded engagement with the forward catcher, as shown at 36. Astop rod 37 is threaded at its inner end into the push rod, as indicated at 38. The movement of the forward catcher, it will be evident, may be regulated by the threaded engagement of the rod 37 therewith, already' noted. The outward movement of the push rod may be limited by the rod 37 striking against the arm 34. It will'lreadily be seen that when a coin has fallen from the run-way into the slots of the catchers, that force applied to the push rod will move both catchers rearward, disengaging the dog 19 from the tooth 22 of the spring 20, in consequence ,of which the tooth 21A of the spring will ride upon the rack 18 as the rear catcher recedes or is moved rearward. When the limit of movement of the push rod is reached, t-he tooth 21 engaging the rack will hold the rear catcher from returning to normal osition until said tooth is disen aged from t e rack.'

Meanwhile, the forwar catcher receding to normal position will vrelease the coin fromv the slots of the catchers and permit'the coin to drop into a coin receptacle or money drawer 39 beneath the catchers, said drawer located in a suitable case 14. As the forward catcher recedes toward its normal position by the action of the retracting spring 32, the dog 19 coming into contact with the tooth 22 of the spring, will force the spring back, disengaging its tooth 21 from the rack, permitting the rear catcher to move forward into normal position, until it strikes the shoulder 29 of the adjusting rod, ready for.

another operation.

It will be -seen that the entire coin catching device is removable from the base of the case independently from other parts of the machine. The brackets 23 and 24 may be secured upon the top of the case 14. The movement of the forward catcher actuates the swinging frame 7 in the following'manner. Said frame is provided with a lever 40 secured thereto as at 41, said lever being fulcrumed intermediate its extremities upon the top of the case 14, as shown at 42. The lever 40 is engaged with the rear com catcher, as shown at 45.

The carriages or feeding plungers 12 are each provided with an arm 43 slotted at its rear extremity as shown at 44. The shaft'lO is provided with a series of pins 46 adjacent to the slotted extremity of each of theA arms 44, the pins equaling in numberzthe n umber of magazines with which the machine 1s provided, the pins heing so arranged upon the The carriages,

' mit the pins to pass.

'shaft that only 011e pin will successively engage the corresponding arm 44 so that the carriages l2 may be moved forward in successive order, only one carriage being actuated at a time, first one and then another, in successive order. One extremity of the shaft is provided with a pinion 47 meshing with a yielding toothed bar or rack 48 jointedly connected at one end thereof with the car 6 as at 49. A spring 50 restores the rack to normal position when free to act. TheOpposite end of the shaft 10 is provided with a wheel .51, provided with multiple `recesses upon its periphery, as shown, the swinging frame carrying a spring pawl 52 to en age the toothed Wheel and hold the shaft 10 'rom turning until released' from the wheel 5 1. On the forward movement ofthe swinging frame, the shaft is non `rotatable,.but uponI the return movement of said frame, the shaft rotates a single step so as'to throw the pins 46 into position successively to engage and actuate the corresponding arms 43. Each of said arms is provided with a forwardly projecting rod 53 jointedly connected with the forward end of the corresponding carriage 12, as at 54, each of the carriages being constructed with parallel bars orsupports 55,

between which the corresponding -rodv 53` may have ,a swinging movement. On the forward movement of the swinging frame, the wheel 51 is held by t-he-pawl 52, as above observed, so that it cannot turn. Said pawl is provided .with a roller 56, which runs upon an inclined plane or track 57, the action of which is to disengage the pawl from the `wheel 51,' so that the shaft 10 is free to turn, when the rack and pinion at the opposite end of the shaft come into action. The rearward movement of t-he swinging frame will obviously engage its pinion 47with the corresponding rack to turn the shaft one step, causing successively act arms .43 to move upon the corresponding forward.

On the upper side of each of the arms 43 is a spring 58. The pins 46 are of such length'that they strike said springs when the shaft revolves, the spri s yielding to perhen the pins have passed the ends of said springs, thesprings return to normal position, and the pins impinge against the end of the'corresponding springs to form a contact between the 'shaft and the corresponding carriage to move the carriage. forward upon lthe forward movement of the frame. It will be obvious that when the actuating pins on the imposition to impinge against the spring upon a given arm of the carriage, the corresponding carriage will remain stationary, only onecarria e being actuated at a time. ocated at the base of the of the track. The tracks are each .61, said grooves the corresponding pins 46 tothe corresponding carriage dened slotted plate 70.

.ner packages of merchandise,

magazines, whe-11 retracted, are in position for a lower article of merchandise 1n the magazine to fall upon the guide frames or tracks 11 in front of the carriages, the corresponding carriages moving forward said article and forcing it 0E the track, deliverin it upon a chute 59, and from .the niachine, thechute opening to the exterior of the case. The upper portion of the carriage, as it moves forward, supports the column of merchandise tliereabove until the carriage returns. The carriages each havel four movements, first the forward movement, as above set forth. But before the carriage recedes, provision is made wherebyv it shall drop vertically by gravity between adjacent formed with lateral upward guide grooves or channels 60, and lower guide grooves or channels communicating at proper intervals through upright channels 62 63 and 83. The carriages are each provided with laterally extended guide pins 64 traveling inV said, grooves. The guide pins of the carriage, in the forward movement thereof, run in the upper grooves of the track, and when theyv reach the upright channels 62, and 83, the pins of the carriage are permitted to drop upon the lowervgrooves of the track, in position for the carriage -to recede. The upperl and lowergrooves of the Atrack are parallel and spaced a` distance apart equal to the thicknessof the package of merchandise, permitting the column of merchandise to drop a similar distance when the carriage has moved downward into the lower grooves of the track. The swinging frame is retracted by a s ring 64. The return of the carriage, it wilfbe seen, does not' interfere with the descent of the next lower article of merchandise in the magazines. When the carriages havereturned to their rearward position, springs 65 on the under. side thereof lift the corresponding carriages into normal position ready for the next forward movement.

Themagazines it into suitable'boxes' 66 boxes are preferably` eld in place by an le clips 67 'attached to the of the frame. The uper extremities ofthe inner walls oft e 'case A iin er piece 68 is shown convenupon the exterior of the base iently loca one of thengers of the to be engaged operator when, orcing in the push rod 31.

On the outside of the case an opening 69 into the runway is provided with a har- To adapt the machine for vdelivering thinmy invention boxes 66 with filler plates 71 located above and spaced from the'tracks. 11 to sup ort the articles of merchandise. T hese ller plates are provided with elongated slots 72 portionsthrough which the su ports 55l may pass, the lateral portions o the carriage being movable at the outer edges of the filler plate. l To prevent the possible dropping of a ycoin with a string attached into the slots ofl the coin catchers and removing the coin, I provide-a blade 73 at the base of the boxes 66 which will cut the cord on the operation of the coin catchers.

To indicate when the magazines are empty, I provide a toothed wheel 7 4, the wheelhaving the same number of teeth as there are packages in the magazines. The shaft 75 of said wheel is provided with a cam tooth or pin 76 to bear, at the proper time, upon a yoke 77 on the lower extremity of a connecting rod 78, said rod supporting a bell crank lever 79 fulcrumed to the case as at 80. The forward end of the lever supports an empty sign slide 81 above an opening in the case. When .the last packages in the magazines have been discharged, the bell crankl lever is actuated to permit the empty sign slide to drop in front of said opening. The said slide may be conveniently arranged above the opening in the case, a clip 82 being provided on the inside of the case, adjacent to said opening, into which the 'said slide may drop.

The object of having the -forward'catcher constructed to telescope into the rear catcher is in order to avoid the operation of the machine when no coin is inserted into the runway. In such an event the force applied to the push rod lwould simply cause the front catcher to telescope into the rear catcher without actuating the rear catcher and connected mechanism. i

To sever a cord which might possibly be attached to, with a view to removing the coin, I prefer to employ a knife indicated at 73 carried by the push rod, the edge of the knife entering 'an orice 84 in the base of the run-way to sever the cord. A magnet v 85 may be employed, if desired, suitably located to prevent any slugs from descending to the base of the coin run-way. The track 57 upon which the roller 56 of the pawl 52 rides, may be made adjustable, Vas by means.

of a cam 86 located therebeneath.

The operation of the mechanism will now be understood. A coin inserted in the runway drops into the slots 16, 17 of the coin catchers. The operator thenpushes in the rod 31, moving the coin catchers rearward. Upon releasing the push rod 31, lthe spring engaging the rack 18 of the rear catcher holds the' rear catcher from moving forward until the 'dog 19 upon the front catcher comes into contact with vthe dog 22 upon the spring 20, thereby releasing the spring from said rack. When the rear catcher is temi porarily held from advancing, the front catcher is restoredrto normal position by the `means to actuate said carriage.

of the sp1-ing 64, restores the rear catcher toy normal position when free to move. At the base of each ofthe `magazines the res ective tracks receive the lower package o merchandise which is permitted to drop upon the corresponding track by the downward movement of the carriage, the carriage thus descending out of the way of the lower article ofmerchandise. In its lower position, the carriage is retracted by the corresponding movement of the frame, and when it has reached its limit of rearward movement, it is restored or moved upward into normal position by the action of the spring therebeneath. As each of the carriages moves forward, it not only discharges the lower package of merchandise fromthecorresponding track, but also rides under the column of packages ,above the lower ackage to support said column while the ower package is eing dischar ed. A

' Where pac ages of merchandise are of a width equal to the space between the corresponding track and the base of the magazine, the filler plate will not be required, but should articles of merchandise be placed in the magazinesfof less thickness than the space between the lower end of the magazine and the track therebeneath, the ller plate may be employed, the filler plate may be adjusted in position as circumstances may require.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Ina vending machine provided with a magazine to contain articles of merchandise, a track located below said magazine, a carriage movable uponsaid track, a swinging to actuate said frame, said carriage having v-a forward, a downward,'a rearward, and ,an upward movement.

2. In'a vending machine, a magazine for containing articles of merchandise, a track located at 'the base of the magazine to receive the lower article of lmerchandise in said magazine, and acarriage having a forward, downward, rearward and upward movement to force said article of merchandise off from said track 'andto support the remaining articles of merchandise, and

3. -Inl a vending machine, a track having upper and lower guide-channels, vertical channels communicating with the upper and lower guide channels, a carriage havino` a forward movement 1n the upper channe a .downward movement in the vertical channels, a rearward movement in the lower channel, and mea-ns to elevate the carriage to normal position.-

4. In a vendinv machine, a swinging frame, a shaft carrled by said frame having a step by step rotation, and a carriage actuated by said shaft. i

'5. In a vendin machine, a swinging frame, a shaft carrled by said frame having a step by step rotation, and a carriage actuated by said shaft, said carriage provided with a swinging arm engaged by said shaft upon the forward movement of the frame.

6. In a vending machine, aswinging' frame, a shaft carriedby said frame, havin a step by step rotation, said shaft provide with a series of ins, a carriage actuated by said pins one a er another to advance the carriage upon the forward movement of the frame. Y

7. In a vendino' machine, a swinging frame, a shaft carr1ed by said frame, a carriage actuated by said shaft, and means to give to said shaft a step'by step rotation.

8. In a vending machine, a swinging frame, a shaft having a step by step rotation carried by said frame, mechanism to temporarily hold said shaft from turning, and means to release said mechanism.

' 9.. In a vending machine, a swinging frame a shaft carried bysaid frame, a carriage actuated by said shaft, and means to give a step by step rotation to said shaft.

10. In a vending machine a swinging frame, a shaft carried by said frame, a carriage actuated by said shaft,. and means to give a step by step rotation to said shaft, said shaft provided with a wheel recessed upon its periphery, a pawl to engage said wheel to temporarily hold the wheel from turning, and means to release said pawl.

11. In a vending machine, a swinging frame, a shaft having a step by step rotation carriedby said frame, a carriage actuated by said shaft, said carriage provided with a swinging arm actuated by the rotation of the shaft to move the carriage forward.

12. In a vending machine, a magazine to contain articles of merchandise, a track below said magazine, mechanism to force forward an article of merchandise, upon said track, and a filler plate to support the articles of merchandise above the track.

13.l In a vending machine, a case constructed to recei've a series of magazines .or packages of merchandise, a tr'ackat the base of each of said magazines, a reciprocator carriage to discharge the lower article o merchandise from each of said .tracks and to support a column of articles or packages thereabove as the lower article is discharged, and means to actuate said carriages one after another in successive order, said carriages each having a downward movement on the ya reciprocatory carriage to discharge said lower package from each of said tracks in successive-order one after another, each of the carriages having a downward movement below the upper portion of the corresponding track to permlt the nextv lowerarticle of merchandise to drop upon the track infront of the corresponding carriage.

15. In a vending machine a swing'ng frame, a shaftprovided with a pinion at one extremity thereof, a yielding rack with which said pinlonmeshes, theopposite end of the' shaft provided with a wheel recessed on its peripheryihpawl to en age the recesses of the whee d the sha temporarily from turning, and 'means'to release said pawl.

`16. In a vending-machine, a track, a carriage having a forward, downward, rearward and upward movement upon said track, anda spring to cause the upward movement of the carriage.;

17. In a vending machine, atrack, a swinging frame, a carriage, means to cause a forward and rearward movement of said carriage, said carriage havin a downward gravity movement at the limit of its forward stroke, and-an upward movement at the limit of its rearward stroke.

18. In a vending machine "a swinging frame, a track, a carriage reciprocator'yr upon said track, a rotatable shaft carried by said frame provided with-a series of pins, said carriage having' a slotted swinging arm to permit the operation of the pins-of the shaft, and a spring upon vsaid arm enga-geable by the pins of the shaft.

19. In a vending machine, a series of tracks, a reciprocatory carriage upon each of said tracks, a swinging frame, a shaft carc ried by said frame having a step by step ro.

tation, said shaft provided with a series of I pinsarra-nged to move forward the carriages one after another in successive order.

20. In a vending machine provided with a magazine, a track located below said magazine, a iiller plate todivide the space between the base l of the magazine andv the track to supportthe articles of merchandisein the magazine, and means to force the lower article of merchandise off from the filler plate.

2 1. In a vending machine, a reciprocatory carriage to discharge the lower package of merchandise froml said machine, Usaid carriage movable forward in one plane and returnable in another plane.

:22. In 'a vending machine, means to removable forward upon one plane and returnceive a column of packages' of merchandise, i able upon another plane. 10

` a track therebelow upon which the lower In testimony whereof I have signed this catory carriage to discharge the lcarriage is moving forward, said carriage package of merchandisemay dro a reciprospecification in presence of two witnesses.

Ilower pack- HOWARD A. LADUE. age of merchandise from the track and to Witnesses: support the remaining 'packages While the l N. S. WRIGHT,

SPIELBURG. 

